Is now the right time to buy my first investment?

[Adam Boniface]

Hello Everyone,

I am a first-time home buyer looking to make an investment in Indianapolis. I am looking to house hack with a duplex/SFR with an in-law suite or BRRR a low-priced SFR since I am limited in my budget (roughly 175k max). I am planning to pull equity out of my purchase to hopefully obtain an additional property in the next 9-15 months. The only thing that is holding me back from making a purchase is the current/future state of the market. If the market dips will I still be able to pull equity out of the property? My plan is to start scaling a business and I do not want to be stuck holding a property that doesn't allow me to invest in another within the next year. I also have heard conflicting stories from different real estate agents about the market. One has been saying that home values will continue to grow and there is not much evidence to prove that real estate is in a bubble. The other is saying that home prices will decline shortly and wouldn't buy anything for at least 6 months to a year with the risk of having negative equity. Is now the right time to purchase my first investment with the limited capital that I have or should I be waiting for the market prices to fall?

Also if there are any other investment strategies that anyone believes would be a good fit for me I would love to hear about them!